The prevalence of brain injury in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the tragic shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords have collectively focused the nation's attention on the plight of those suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Over the past year, studies on the immediate and rehabilitative treatment of TBIs have garnered media attention that they likely would not have in the past. However, even as the realities that TBI sufferers face become clearer to the public, victims and their loved ones often remain legitimately confused and overwhelmed by various treatment options and how to pay for them.
A Flood of Knowledge
This spring, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that a common surgery to relieve pressure on the brain does not necessarily improve patients' outcomes over time and may even cause harm. An Institute of Medicine report released just weeks ago suggests that providing TBI victims with certain doses of protein and other nutrients in the immediate aftermath of sustaining an injury will reduce the brain's inflammatory response and can greatly improve a victim's outcome.
However, the science of nutrition in TBI victims is not yet developed enough to consider this and other, similar studies as conclusive. Other studies regarding high rates of depression in recovering TBI sufferers, rehabilitative timetables and surgical methods are currently underway. Medical understanding of TBI treatment is ever-evolving and there are currently no "cure-alls" for this type of injury.
Smoothing the Way
Though the process of choosing brain injury treatment options may be overwhelming, the process of paying for necessary treatment should not be. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.7 million Americans sustain a TBI annually. Given this problematic trend, experienced personal injury attorneys are well versed in aiding victims and their loved ones in navigating the process of obtaining the resources that are necessary for treatment and rehabilitation. TBI victims face long and arduous recoveries; all legal options should be weighed in order to ensure that these individuals can obtain the care that they need during this process.
